Since I'll be strolling sidewalk cafes and boutiques on my European vacation for the next few weeks I thought it only fair to include you in the excitement! Introducing the Sidewalk Sale! Take 40% off your order and receive the brand new Mini Session Boards as a FREE GIFT with any purchase of $40 or more here at Jamie Schultz Designs.

If you've been following my blog for a while then you may have noticed that I refer to the book "The Sound of Paper" often. This book, written by Julia Cameron, really helped me understand more about the creative process and how to find inspiration in my everyday life. One of the best take-aways from the book for me was discovering that everyone goes through peeks and valleys of creativity. As artists we should learn to accept the cycle and find a way to embrace those times when we are in a creative lull. The author maps out several exercises we can do during those down times to infuse new life into our work when the time is right.

What I discovered about myself is that I needed to find activities that allowed me to completely escape from the demands and pressure of work. For some people it might be shopping, traveling, meeting friends for lunch, etc... but for me I find I can completely shut off work when I'm A) reading a book and B) cooking. These are two activities I have to make time for on a daily basis or I find it hard to stay balanced. Having said that I do find that it's easy to fall into old habits. For example, when the kids go to bed it's easy to wander over to the laptop and finish "just a few more things" rather than picking up a book to read.

In an effort to hold myself accountable for making time each and every day to truly escape from work I signed up for a reading challenge on Goodreads. My goal is to read 100 books in 2013...if that number sounds like a lot just know that I a pretty fast reader so I can move through books quickly. This has been a great way for me to unwind at the end of each day and it also helps me escape and recharge.

Bobbi Peterson ofThe Salty Peanut Photography asked for a list of my favorite books on my Facebook page the other day. I was having a terrible time trying to narrow down my "all-time favorite" books so I thought I'd change it up a bit and list my favorite books so far in 2013. You'll notice I have quite a few young adult fiction books on the list. I made friends with the little neighbor girl and she and I share a passion for books. She brings over books she thinks I should read and I've been surprised with just how much I'm enjoying that genre!

So, without further ado here's the list! Happy Reading!

1) The Art of Racing in the Rain 2) The Fault in Our Stars 3) Bread and Wine 4) Out of My Mind 5) Wonder 6) Never Fall Down

If you have any questions for me related to my photography business, templates, home life, healthy eating, etc... please leave a comment here or on my FB page. I'll be selecting questions to answer here on my blog and if I choose your question I'll send you a $25 gift card to spend at Jamie Schultz Designs.

Includes:

-One 8.5 x 11 sheet with grouped elements for easy customization

- Easy-to-use layers that you can drag and drop onto your photo project

- Font List with links (some text was created as word art and cannot be altered)

PLEASE NOTE: Card templates are NOT included with this set. You are purchasing the overlay elements only.

The photos featured in the card samples compliments ofJamie Schultz Photography andJennifer Wilcox Photography.

As many of you know over the past few years I've been running Jamie Schultz Designs, Jamie Schultz Photography, and started a new venture with This Lunch Rox. One question I'm asked often is "How do you have time to do it all". I see this question posed to a lot of other bloggers/creatives as well and more often than not I see replies that include the word "coffee". While I do enjoy coffee, unfortunately it doesn't hold that magical power that allows me to "do it all". In fact, the reason for this post is to let you in on a little secret...I simply CAN'T do it all!

There seems to me to be a universal delusion about what life is like behind the scenes for many bloggers, photographers, writers, crafters, etc... I'm sure this has something to do with onslaught of social media where we are bombarded with what seems like a cloud of awesomeness. Whether it's Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, you name it...there's always people out there seemingly doing more and being more than many of us could ever hope to do and/or be. Sadly, I think that when people compare their lives to what they see on-line they somehow think they are inadequate or falling behind.

When I first started my business eight years ago I'll be the first to admit I fell into believing this. (Keep in mind this was before Pinterest and Instagram were around...I can only imagine the kind of pressure I would have put on myself then!) As my business grew and my kids grew I felt a constant pressure to do more, more, more. I watched some friends in the industry achieving astonishing success, traveling, speaking, parenting...it appeared as though they had it all and they looked fabulous doing it to boot. At the time this seemed like it would be a glamourous lifestyle and something to chase after.

It didn't take long for me to realize that trying to do it all was nothing short of impossible and left me feeling miserable not to mention exhausted. Just as I started to discover what all I would need to sacrifice in order to become that successful photographer so many people dream of being our pastor gave a sermon titled "What Are You Going to Do with Your Dash" He explained that when you die your tombstone will be marked with the year you were born and the year you die. Those two years will be separated by a dash. This dash represents your life and everything you chose to do with it. Hearing that message made me realize that we only get one chance here...one life. It forced me to STOP the insanity of trying to achieve more and do more.

I took time to reflect on what I wanted I wanted my dash to be about and came up with some themes.

- Be present and involved with my kids

- Help my children develop a passion for learning

- Live a healthy lifestyle

- Preserve and document family memories for myself and others

- Continue learning through books, classes, etc...

- Traveling with my family

- Develop authentic relationships

- Make time for creative projects

When you read that list maybe you'll understand that This Lunch Rox allows me to have a creative project, or why I'm constantly talking about books on my personal Facebook page, or why I write so many blog posts about children's literature, etc... Having said that, in order to give those things top priority I've had to make difficult decisions over the years. It means that I'm unable to do things I wish I had the time to do:

- Finding more time to spend with friends

- Writing

- Spending more time volunteering at school

- Teaching

- Taking on more clients

- Developing a more rigorous exercise regimen

- Learning to take better iPhone pictures

So, I guess to answer the question "How do you it all" I would say that I don't and I'm sort of proud of that. It means that I've learned to say no. I've learned that in order for me to focus on what I consider to be my top priorities I've had to acknowledge the fact that I simply can't do it all and that's ok! Sometimes I wish I had time to do these crazy fun stylized model freebie shoots I see so many of my peers doing these days. I wish I had time to host more dinner parties. I wish I had more time to do lunch and go on fun day trips with my friends. The reality is that in this season of my life I simply have to prioritize. Maybe someday I can make time for those things, but for now they are on the back burner.

If you're finding yourself feeling overwhelmed or wishing you had more time to do the things you want to do I would encourage you to stop and write down a list of your top priorities. Then as you map out your everyday to-do lists stop and ask yourself if you're saying yes to things that will help you live your dash the way you intended.

When I stumbled across this passage in the book, A Reading Promise, it really struck a cord with me. In this industry especially, I think it's very easy to get caught up in a competitive game that nobody will win. As photographers we can spend an inordinate amount of time perfecting our craft and there's nothing wrong with that. Just remember that this is a journey, not a race. We have one life and it's up to you how you'll spend it!

The new Senior Elements and Overlays collection is now available for the introductory price of $25 for a limited time! As a high school senior portrait photographer I understand all too well how often we need access to design elements to create cards, books, cd cases, image boxes, and/or studio marketing pieces. Keep this element and overlay sheet handy throughout your shooting season to help make design projects a breeze!